The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for playing a poker game along with an auxiliary game. More particularly, the invention describes a method including steps of evaluating the outcomes of a poker game and using them as incoming information of an auxiliary game.
In recent years, on numerous electronic gaming apparatus, various features such as bonus and auxiliary games have been developed. The goals of these features are: 1) to maintain players"" interest and 2) to urge players to play for longer periods, therefore affecting the apparatus level of use and generating more revenues for its operators.
To achieve that goal, one known strategy consists in a progressive jackpot bearing a potential prize of much more impressive value than the others available prizes. Therefore, while playing, an increased of players"" interest is caused by the possibility of winning this attractive jackpot. However, players have no urge to keep playing on the same apparatus. They can win the jackpot on any apparatus bearing this progressive jackpot, sometimes in more than one gaming facility.
Another strategy consists in the addition of a secondary game accessed via the occurrence of particular events during the playing of the primary game. These secondary games provide players with chances to increase their wins or to win special prizes, said special prizes being awarded only via the secondary game.
However, the excitement created via the secondary game does not last long. Furthermore, the excitement generated by the secondary game is not effective during the primary game play; players have no way to predict when a secondary game trigger is about to occur.
Jackpots and secondary game triggers are usually awarded according to single primary game outcomes. While playing the game, the player gets no hint that one jackpot or secondary game trigger is about to be yielded. Therefore, these games do not succeed to create prolonged periods of excitement.
A third strategy is the one described by Marnell in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,057. In the example, a bingo matrix display (the secondary game) is coupled to a poker game (the primary game). The occurrence of different outcomes in the poker game can yield modifications in the bingo matrix display. According to the standard rules of bingo, players win prizes in the auxiliary game when a predetermined pattern is present in the bingo display. An auxiliary game win requires winning while playing the poker game. Furthermore, it requires yielding predetermined poker hands to modify the bingo matrix accordingly. The downside of this method is that players do not feel the importance or the effect of each single play of the primary game on the auxiliary prize. However, they do feel the necessity to keep playing the game to avoid skipping over the outcome allowing them to win the auxiliary prize.
Another strategy available consists in progressive jackpots applied to live casino games played at tables. This solution has the same disadvantages as the above-mentioned strategies.
Yet another strategy is to monitor a number of predetermined outcomes in the primary game and to allow the player to access an auxiliary game when a predetermined number of these outcomes have occurred. Usually, this auxiliary game is a prize multiplier. Most of the time, the monitoring of these outcomes is neither available nor displayed to players; consequently players cannot foresee when they will access the auxiliary game. Often, they are not even aware of which outcomes are used to control access to the auxiliary game. However, even when the outcomes are known, players have no time limit to accumulate them, therefore no urge to play.
Another strategy is to give access to an auxiliary game wherein players gather points or the like, and are rewarded according to the number of points gathered. These points are both attributed and accumulated in the auxiliary game and are not a function of the primary game plays at all. The only link between the auxiliary game and the primary game consists in the trigger events of the primary game that control the access to the auxiliary game.
As a result, there have been no successful strategies developed to maintain players"" interest throughout their participation in a game; none transmits to the players the conviction that each single play has its importance, without exception.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of playing an auxiliary game that maintains the interest of players over numerous plays of a poker game. Furthermore, it intends to increase the pleasure generated by the playing of the poker game. Another object of the invention is to provide a game wherein each playing of the primary game has its own importance. Another object is to provide an auxiliary game and a method of playing said auxiliary game creating an incentive for players to keep using the same gaming apparatus, therefore to play the same auxiliary game with the same game history. This in turn increases the profits generated by the apparatus.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method to allow the awarding of a progressive payoff, said progressive payoff having the effect of creating and maintaining additional interest. Another object is to display the information regarding the playing of the auxiliary game during the plays of the primary game to sustain players"" excitement. A further object consists in concurrently monitoring multiple auxiliary game prizes, therefore allowing players to sustain suspense over the possibilities of winning multiple auxiliary game prizes at once. A further object of the invention consists in maintaining players"" excitement by allowing them to gather whatever requirements to win prizes in the auxiliary game in a number of plays greater than the number of plays monitored by the auxiliary game. Players"" chances of winning an auxiliary game prize are therefore increased.
According to the above objects, a method of playing an auxiliary game awarding prizes played along with a poker game is provided. The method comprises the following steps: 1) establishing a first class of poker outcomes and associating it with a first auxiliary income category labeled xe2x80x9ccredit eventsxe2x80x9d, 2) establishing a second class of outcomes and associating it with xe2x80x9cno-credit eventsxe2x80x9d, 3) establishing a third class of outcomes and associating it with an auxiliary income category being xe2x80x9cnon-event holdsxe2x80x9d, 4) monitoring credits over a predetermined number of said events, and 5) awarding a prize when a number of credits corresponding to a predetermined criteria is present in the auxiliary game. The above-mentioned method gives the players the advantage of avoiding no-credits with a series of non-event holds and credit events, as a result of prolonging suspense and increasing the players"" chances of winning an auxiliary game prize.
Furthermore, the auxiliary game monitors auxiliary incomes over a predetermined number of credits. However, when the maximum number of credits available to be monitored is reached, the auxiliary monitoring system is not emptied; it always keeps track of the latest auxiliary incomes up to a maximum volume of information. Consequently, it creates a monitoring window xe2x80x9cin timexe2x80x9d following the poker plays. As a result, each auxiliary income affects more than one auxiliary game prize evaluation. Each single auxiliary income can have a determinant influence on multiple potential prizes within the auxiliary game regardless of the moment of the auxiliary income entry.
A preferred embodiment of this invention comprises an electronic gaming apparatus in which a poker game is linked to an auxiliary game monitoring system operating according to the method described above. The information monitored by the auxiliary game is displayed in the upper section of the electronic display. Below are the cards allowing the playing of the poker game. This information is easy to read and easily understood by any players, novices as well as experts. In this embodiment, an outcome evaluated as higher than two pairs is a credit event, a loss is a no-credit event, and a poker outcome evaluated as a pair or two pairs, whether or not it has a poker play value, is a non-event hold in the auxiliary game. A monitoring matrix keeps track of credits and no-credits on the screen. At least one progressive prize associated with the matrix display is available according to credit-based criteria. To play the auxiliary game, players must place a flat additional bet (a.k.a. side bet), said flat additional bet being the same from play to play and independent of the poker game bet.
Another embodiment is provided in which the auxiliary game is played in association with a poker game wherein no outcomes are evaluated as non-event holds. Therefore, all poker outcomes generate an input in the auxiliary game. Consequently, the evaluation of an auxiliary prize cannot be done over more poker outcomes than the auxiliary input monitored. Furthermore, a mystery auxiliary prize is awarded to players who succeed in yielding an auxiliary game matrix bearing information that corresponds to mystery criteria.
A third embodiment of the invention consists in an auxiliary game following the same rules of evaluation of poker plays as the above described first embodiment. However, the monitoring of events by the auxiliary game monitoring system and the criteria used to determine credits, no-credits and holds are different. The auxiliary game monitoring system keeps track of the credit events provided by the poker game until a no-credit event occurs. This no-credit event has the effect of clearing away every current credit. However, non-event holds have no effect on the monitoring matrix. Consequently, the number of plays required to win a prize depends on the number of non-event holds occurring.